Wat Sri Lanka

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: Please check with the temple before visiting

 

Wat Sri Lanka, locally known as Wat Ton Chok, is located at 274 Moo 1, Ban Ton Chok, on the San Pa Tong–Lamphun Road in Nong Tong Subdistrict, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai 50340. It is a local Buddhist temple under the Maha Nikaya order and covers 12 rai of temple land. The temple was officially established in 1784 and received its consecrated boundary for monastic ceremonies in 1956. The current abbot is Phra Athikan Intha Panyawachiro. Wat Sri Lanka is an important community temple of Ban Ton Chok and is especially meaningful because of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree brought from Sri Lanka and planted within the temple grounds.

 

The temple name carries both Buddhist and local significance. According to the temple’s history, a Sri Maha Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka was planted within the temple compound, and this became the basis for the name Wat Sri Lanka. Local villagers also call the temple Wat Ton Chok after Ban Ton Chok, the village where the temple stands. These two names should be understood together: the official name preserves the Buddhist symbolism of the Bodhi tree, while the local name reflects the temple’s connection with the village community.

 

The Sri Maha Bodhi tree gives Wat Sri Lanka a distinctive identity. In Buddhist tradition, the Bodhi tree is associated with the enlightenment of the Buddha. When a Bodhi tree is linked with Sri Lanka, it also evokes the wider history of Buddhist transmission across regions. For visitors, this makes Wat Sri Lanka more than a village temple. It is a place where local Lanna devotion and broader Buddhist symbolism meet in a quiet community setting.

 

Wat Sri Lanka was officially established in 1784, giving the temple more than two centuries of history. It belongs to the group of old community temples in Nong Tong Subdistrict that developed alongside the agricultural villages of southern Hang Dong. A village temple in Lanna society is not only a religious building. It is a shared space for merit-making, sermons, ordinations, funerals, Kathin, forest robe offerings, Buddhist Lent activities, and community gatherings across generations.

 

The consecrated boundary granted in 1956 is an important milestone in the temple’s religious development. A consecrated boundary allows formal Sangha ceremonies to be performed properly according to Buddhist monastic discipline. This confirms Wat Sri Lanka’s role as a complete Buddhist temple serving both monks and lay devotees.

 

Ban Ton Chok, Moo 1, is part of Nong Tong Subdistrict in Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai. The subdistrict is connected by the San Pa Tong–Lamphun route, also known as Highway 1015, which links Chiang Mai, Lamphun, and nearby communities. The area remains strongly agricultural, with rice fields, longan orchards, gardens, and local settlements. Wat Sri Lanka stands within this rural Lanna landscape where temples, village life, farming, and Buddhist traditions remain closely connected.

 

Nong Tong has many community temples, including Wat Nong Tong, Wat Phra Chao Lueam, Wat Tha Nak, Wat Nak Nimit, Wat Pa Lan, Wat Thep Kunchon, Wat Phrueksaram, Wat Walukaram, and Wat Sri Lanka. Each temple serves its own village while also forming part of the broader Buddhist and cultural network of the subdistrict. Wat Sri Lanka is therefore part of a living landscape shaped by temples, agriculture, local memory, and community faith.

 

The main highlight of Wat Sri Lanka is the Sri Maha Bodhi tree within the temple grounds. The area around the Bodhi tree should be visited respectfully because the tree is not merely a large tree inside the temple. It is a Buddhist symbol connected with enlightenment, devotion, and the continuity of faith. In Lanna belief, devotees often support large Bodhi trees with wooden props as a symbolic act of supporting Buddhism and creating merit.

 

Before entering the viharn area, visitors can see the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, which is closely connected with the temple’s name and identity. This is one of the most meaningful points of the visit. Observing the Bodhi tree, the wooden supports, and the surrounding atmosphere helps visitors understand that the temple’s value lies not only in its age but also in the specific story of Sri Lankan Buddhist symbolism preserved in a Lanna village temple.

 

Important areas inside the temple include the viharn and the alms-bowl pavilion. The viharn is used for worship, Buddhist ceremonies, sermons, and community merit-making. The alms-bowl pavilion is a space where monks’ alms bowls are placed in a row so that devotees can offer items before they are formally presented to the monks. This type of space reflects the practical rhythm of merit-making in a community temple.

 

The alms-bowl pavilion at Wat Sri Lanka also contains Buddhist wall paintings. These paintings focus on the Ten Jataka stories, which describe the final 10 lives of the Bodhisattva before becoming the Buddha. This gives the pavilion both a practical function and an artistic value. It is a place for offering and merit-making, but it also teaches Buddhist values through visual storytelling.

 

Phra Athikan Intha Panyawachiro is the abbot of Wat Sri Lanka and is known locally in connection with Wat Sri Lanka or Wat Ton Chok. In a community temple, the abbot’s role is central. He leads ceremonies, maintains the temple, supports devotees, and keeps Buddhist practice active in the village. Wat Sri Lanka remains a living temple because of this continuing relationship between monks and villagers.

 

The temple has also been connected with public Buddhist activities in Nong Tong Subdistrict, including offerings and candle donations during Asalha Puja and Buddhist Lent with other temples in the area. Such activities show that Wat Sri Lanka is not isolated within Ban Ton Chok alone. It is part of a wider local Buddhist network involving temples, communities, educational institutions, and lay supporters.

 

Important things to see at Wat Sri Lanka include the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, wooden Bodhi supports, viharn, alms-bowl pavilion, Ten Jataka wall paintings, Buddha images, and the atmosphere of Ban Ton Chok’s community temple. Visitors should move slowly and respectfully, because the temple’s appeal comes from the relationship between its name, its sacred Bodhi tree, local faith, and everyday merit-making.

 

Visitors should pay respect to the Buddha images, the Bodhi tree, and the worship areas according to personal faith. Proper conduct is important: dress modestly, speak quietly, avoid touching murals or temple objects, and ask before photographing sensitive areas or ongoing ceremonies. Wat Sri Lanka is an active community temple and should be treated as a sacred place in daily use.

 

Temple activities are connected with the Buddhist calendar and Lanna village traditions. These include Buddhist holy days, Buddhist Lent, the end of Buddhist Lent, Kathin, forest robe offerings, candle offerings, Sangha offerings, and temple maintenance activities. These events help villagers gather, make merit, support the temple, and sustain the shared spiritual life of Ban Ton Chok.

 

The role of Wat Sri Lanka in Ban Ton Chok can be understood through religion, society, and culture. Religiously, it is a place for worship, sermons, and ceremonies. Socially, it brings villagers together during merit-making events. Culturally, it preserves the story of the Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka, the local name Wat Ton Chok, the alms-bowl pavilion, and Buddhist wall paintings connected with the Ten Jataka stories.

 

Nong Tong also contains Wiang Mano Ancient Settlement, an important historical site associated with the Hariphunchai period. Visiting Wat Sri Lanka together with Wiang Mano helps travelers understand the broader cultural landscape of Nong Tong: old community temples, ancient settlement history, agricultural villages, and living Buddhist traditions.

 

A connected cultural route can begin at Wat Sri Lanka for worship, the Bodhi tree, and the story of Wat Ton Chok. Travelers can then continue to Wat Nong Tong, Wiang Mano Ancient Settlement, Wat Phra Chao Lueam, Wat Sa Trai Nurak or Wat Na Wiang, Wat Walukaram, and Wat Tha Nak. This route is suitable for a half-day or full-day trip for visitors who want to explore the quieter cultural side of southern Chiang Mai.

 

Wat Sri Lanka is suitable for travelers interested in Lanna community temples, old temples in Hang Dong, Sri Maha Bodhi symbolism, Bodhi-tree support traditions, Buddhist wall paintings, and cultural routes in Nong Tong Subdistrict. It is not a large tourist temple, but it has a distinctive identity shaped by the Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka, the name Wat Ton Chok, and the continuing devotion of the local community.

 

Getting There is easiest by private car, rental car, or ride-hailing service. From Chiang Mai city, travel toward Hang Dong District, then continue to Nong Tong Subdistrict via the San Pa Tong–Lamphun route or Highway 1015. The temple is located in Ban Ton Chok, Moo 1. Visitors can set the destination as Wat Sri Lanka or Wat Ton Chok, Nong Tong Subdistrict, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai.

 

The distance from Chiang Mai city to Nong Tong Phatthana Municipality is about 28 kilometers and usually takes around 35 minutes in normal traffic. Morning or early afternoon is suitable for a quiet visit. Travelers can combine the temple with nearby cultural sites, restaurants, cafés, and accommodations in Nong Tong, Hang Dong, and Baan Tawai.

 

Overall, Wat Sri Lanka, also known as Wat Ton Chok, is an old local temple with religious, social, and cultural value. Officially established in 1784 and granted a consecrated boundary in 1956, the temple is distinguished by its Sri Maha Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka, its role as the spiritual center of Ban Ton Chok, and its place within the Nong Tong cultural route. For travelers seeking the quieter local side of Chiang Mai, Wat Sri Lanka is a meaningful stop that connects Lanna village life with wider Buddhist symbolism.

 

 

A: Wat Sri Lanka is located at 274 Moo 1, Ban Ton Chok, San Pa Tong–Lamphun Road, Nong Tong Subdistrict, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai 50340, Thailand.

 

A: Local residents call Wat Sri Lanka Wat Ton Chok, after Ban Ton Chok where the temple is located.

 

A: The temple is named after a Sri Maha Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka that was planted within the temple grounds.

 

A: Wat Sri Lanka was officially established as a temple in 1784 and received its consecrated boundary in 1956.

 

A: Visitors should see the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, wooden Bodhi supports, viharn, alms-bowl pavilion, Ten Jataka wall paintings, and the atmosphere of Ban Ton Chok’s community temple.

 

A: It is suitable for travelers interested in Lanna community temples, Sri Maha Bodhi symbolism, Bodhi-tree support traditions, Buddhist wall paintings, and the cultural route of Nong Tong Subdistrict.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Nong Tong, Wiang Mano Ancient Settlement, Wat Phra Chao Lueam, Wat Sa Trai Nurak, and Wat Walukaram.